Time Signature Help

Discuss general Sibelius issues here. Get help with Sibelius and Sibelius Support.
sebdan
Posts: 5
Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:16 am

Post by sebdan » Tue Oct 18, 2016 2:57 am

Hi, is there a way to create a time signature that carries across multiple staves? For instance, in an orchestral score - one time signature for the woodwinds, another for the brass instruments, and so on? The same time signatures, not different ones.
I am trying to avoid using the large or huge time signatures.

Thanks!


galgher
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Nov 17, 2016 4:58 am
Sibelius Version: 5

Post by galgher » Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:00 am

I hope this is what you were asking about
You might glance at the attached .pdf to check before you start reading.

Create your score layout by choosing your instruments and arranging them in the vertical order you'd like.
You can go ahead and input all your time signatures and music now if you like.
Just get everything that would be in your "normal score" done.

In the example I've given, I've spread the instrument groups apart by selecting the all of top staff (triple clicking a bar) in the second group and ALT-downArrow-ing to position it a bit below the top group. Same for third group. This should help visually but is not required.

Now for getting those the bigger time signatures on groups of instruments.

Start with the top instrumental group.

Select the first bar's time signature and hide it (SHFT-CTRL-h on windows) (same brings it back) (or use a pull down menu).

Select the first pitch or rest in the first bar in the topmost staff or the topmost group (or in any staff in the top group actually).
Drag this pitch or rest to the right to put more space between it and the left side or bar line. This is where the bigger time signature will go.

Now add a large or huge time signature to just this staff's bar. [Create, Text, Special Text, Time signature (huge) or Time signature (large)].

Drag this time signature down until it's centered amongst the instruments in the group (if that's where you'd like it – that is where I put it in the example.)
You may need to make the gap where the time signature is wider or narrower by dragging the first note or space in the bar again.

To make it look better, you might change the size of all the time signatures in your score using by editing "large time signature" or "huge time signature" [House Style, Edit Text Styles, Time signature (huge) or (large)]. And readjust whatever needs to be.

For the second group of instruments, copy and paste the large time signature in the first group. Don’t' worry about where you are copying it to – it should be on top of the time signature in the first group.
Drag it into the second group and position it where you'd like it. You'll may need to reposition it too.

Repeat this process for the third instrument group and the fourth and so on …
…until all are done.

That was for the first bar!
Now go to the next time signature and repeat the process…

…and the next time signature…

This is tedious but, if I understood what you wanted, this works
– and playback works.

Now for the parts – a TOTAL DISASTER! and not easily dealt with.
You might consider having two versions of the score – one, a "normal" score which would be for parts and another, with the larger time signatures in the score which would be used only for printing the score. Either should work for playback but you'll have to test this.
But make sure you have a completely proofed "normal" score before adding the big time sigs.

Hope this is vaguely what you were asking about!
Attachments
time-sig-for-groups.jpg
time-sig-for-groups.jpg (191.21 KiB) Viewed 2379 times

Post Reply